PRESIDENT, The

The PRESIDENT (17:48): In accordance with the usual practice, I table a report of parliamentary committee reports to which the government has not responded within the prescribed period. The report has been circulated to honourable senators. With the concurrence of the Senate, the report will be incorporated in Hansard. The document read as follows— PRESIDENT ' S REPORT TO THE SENATE ON GOVERNMENT RESPONSES OUTSTANDING TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORTS AS AT 16 JULY 2014 PREFACE This document continues the practice of presenting to the Senate twice each year a list of government responses to Senate and joint committee reports as well as responses which remain outstanding. The practice of presenting this list to the Senate is in accordance with the resolution of the Senate of 14 March 1973 and the undertaking by successive governments to respond to parliamentary committee reports in timely fashion. On 26 May 1978 the Minister for Administrative Services (Senator Withers) informed the Senate that within six months of the tabling of a committee report, the responsible minister would make a statement in the Parliament outlining the action the government proposed to take in relation to the report. The period for responses was reduced from six months to three months in 1983 by the incoming government. The Leader of the Government in the Senate announced this change on 24 August 1983. The method of response continued to be by way of statement. Subsequently, on 16 October 1991 [tabled 5 Nov 1991] the government advised that responses to committee reports would be made by letter to a committee chair, with the letter being tabled in the Senate at the earliest opportunity. The government affirmed this commitment in June 1996 to respond to relevant parliamentary committee reports within three months of presentation. On 29 September 2010, the House agreed to a resolution which places a six month response time on House and joint committee reports tabled in the House1. The Senate has not agreed to a similar resolution. Therefore, this list is prepared on the basis of retaining the three month reporting undertaking for Senate and joint committee reports tabled in the Senate. This list does not usually include reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights or the following Senate Standing Committees: Appropriations and Staffing, Privileges, Procedure, Publications, Regulations and Ordinances, Scrutiny of Bills, Selection of Bills and Senators' Interests. However, such reports will be included if they require a response. Government responses to reports of the Public Works Committee are normally reflected in motions in the House of Representatives for the approval of works after the relevant report has been presented and considered. Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) primarily make administrative recommendations but may make policy recommendations. A government response is required in respect of such policy recommendations made by the committee. However, responses to administrative recommendations are made in the form of an executive minute provided to, and subsequently tabled by, the committee. Agencies responding to administrative recommendations are required to provide an executive minute within six months of the tabling of a report. The committee monitors the provision of such responses. An entry on this list for a report of the JCPAA containing only administrative recommendations is annotated to indicate that the response is to be provided in the form of an executive minute. Consequently, any other government response is not required. However, any reports containing policy recommendations are included in this report as requiring a government response. Senate committees report on bills and the provisions of bills. Only those reports in this category that make recommendations which cannot readily be addressed during the consideration of the bill, and therefore require a response, are listed. The list also does not include reports by committees on estimates or scrutiny of annual reports, unless recommendations are made that require a response. _______________ A guide to the legend used in the ' Date response presented/made to the Senate ' column * See document tabled in the Senate on 16 July 2014, entitled Government Response to Parliamentary Committee Reports–Response to the schedule tabled by the President of the Senate on 12 December 2013 for Government interim/final response. ** Report contains administrative recommendations—any response to those recommendations is to be provided to the JCPAA committee in the form of an executive minute. Committee and title of report Date report tabled Date response presented/made to the Senate Response made within specified period (3 months) A Certain Maritime Incident (Senate Select) Report on a Certain Maritime Incident 23.10.02 *(interim) No Abbott Government's Commission of Audit (Senate Select) Interim report 3.3.14 (presented 19.2.14) - No Second interim report 13.5.14 (presented 24.4.14) - Time not expired Final report 16.6.14 - Time not expired Australia's Food Processing Sector (Senate Select) Inquiry into Australia's food processing sector 16.8.12 *(interim) No Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Joint Statutory) Integrity of overseas Commonwealth law enforcement operations 27.6.13 (tabled HoR 24.6.13) *(interim) No Broadcasting Legislation (Joint Select) Three broadcasting reform proposals 24.6.13 (tabled HoR 24.6.13) *(interim) No Community Affairs Legislation Annual reports (No. 2 of 2012) 12.9.12 15.5.14 No Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013 12.12.13 - No Health Insurance Amendment (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Bill 2014 [Provisions] 16.6.14 - Time not expired Community Affairs References The effectiveness of special arrangements for the supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines to remote area Aboriginal Health Services 11.10.11 *(interim) No The factors affecting the supply of health services and medical professionals in rural areas 22.8.12 *(interim) No Palliative care in Australia 10.10.12 *(interim) No Australia's domestic response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health report "Closing the gap within a generationˮ 20.3.13 *(interim) No Supply of chemotherapy drugs such as Docetaxel 14.5.13 (presented 10.5.13) *(interim) No Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of people with disabilities in Australia 12.11.13 (presented 17.7.13) *(interim) No Impacts on health of air quality in Australia 12.11.13 (presented 16.8.13) *(interim) No Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of intersex people in Australia 12.11.13 (presented 25.10.13) *(interim) No Care and management of younger and older Australians living with dementia and behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) 26.3.14 - No Constitutional Recognition of Local Government (Joint Select) Preliminary report on the majority finding of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government: the proposal, timing and likely success of a referendum to amend Section 96 of the Australian Constitution to effect financial recognition of local government 5.2.13 (presented 24.1.13, tabled HoR 11.2.13) *(final) No Final report on the majority finding of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government: the case for financial recognition, the likelihood of success and lessons from the history of constitutional referenda 12.3.13 (presented 7.3.13, tabled HoR 13.3.13) *(final) No Corporations and Financial Services (Joint Statutory) Access for small and medium business to finance 16.6.11 (tabled HoR 23.5.11) *(final) No Inquiry into the Personal Liability for Corporate Fault Reform Bill 2012 29.10.12 (tabled HoR 29.10.12) *(interim) No Family business in Australia— different and significant: why they shouldn't be overlooked 20.3.13 (tabled HoR 21.3.13) *(interim) No Financial sector reform in China: the role of, and opportunities for, the Australian financial services sector—Report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services: Delegation to China 28.6.13 (tabled HoR 13.11.13) *(interim) No Report on the 2012-13 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 19.3.14 (tabled HoR 24.3.14) - No Cyber-Safety (Joint Select) Cyber safety for seniors—A worthwhile journey—Second interim report 14.5.13 (presented 16.4.13) 13.2.14 No Economics Legislation Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling Laws) Bill 2009 26.11.09 *(interim) No Annual reports (No. 2 of 2010) 17.11.10 *(interim) No Clean Energy Amendment (International Emissions Trading and Other Measures) Bill 2012 [Provisions] and related bills 29.10.12 *(final) No Minerals Resource Rent Tax Repeal and Other Measures Bill 2013 [Provisions] 2.12.13 *(interim) No Tax Laws Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2013 [Provisions] 17.3.14 - No Qantas Sale Amendment Bill 2014 [Provisions] 24.3.14 - No Corporations Amendment (Streamlining of Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2014 [Provisions] 16.6.14 - Time not expired Economics References Ticket scalping in Australia 26.3.14 19.6.14 Yes Performance of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 26.6.14 - Time not expired Education and Employment Legislation Committee Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2013 [Provisions] 2.12.13 *(final) No Social Security Legislation Amendment (Green Army Programme) Bill 2014 [Provisions] 14.5.14 - Time not expired Education and Employment References Committee Effectiveness of the National Assessment Program— Literacy and Numeracy 27.3.14 - No Technical and further education in Australia 14.5.14 - Time not expired Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Protecting Local Jobs (Regulating Enterprise Migration Agreements) Bill 2012 [Provisions] 12.3.13 *(interim) No Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Provision of childcare 23.11.09 19.6.14 No Higher education and skill training to support agriculture and agribusiness in Australia 21.6.12 *(interim) No The shortage of engineering and related employment skills 14.8.12 (presented 12.7.12) *(interim) No The adequacy of the allowance payment system as a support into work and the impact of the changing nature of the labour market 29.11.12 *(final) No Teaching and learning— maximising our investment in Australian schools 14.5.13 *(interim) No Electoral Matters (Joint Standing) Implications of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Automatic Enrolment) Act 2009 (NSW) for the conduct of Commonwealth elections 25.2.10 (tabled HoR 25.2.10) *(interim) No Report on the funding of political parties and election campaigns 7.2.12 (presented 9.12.11, tabled HoR 13.2.12) *(interim) No Review of the AEC analysis of the FWA report on the HSU 20.9.12 (tabled HoR 9.10.12) *(interim) No Interim report on the inquiry into the conduct of the 2013 Federal Election: Senate voting practices 13.5.14 (presented 9.5.14, tabled HoR 14.5.14) - Time not expired Environment and Communications References The koala—saving our national icon 22.9.11 *(interim) No The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's commitment to reflecting and representing regional diversity 20.3.13 *(interim) No The feasibility of a prohibition on charging fees for an unlisted number service 15.5.13 11.2.14 (presented 6.2.14) No Effectiveness of current regulatory arrangements in dealing with radio simulcasts 12.11.13 (presented 12.7.13) *(interim) No Effectiveness of threatened species and ecological communities' protection in Australia 12.11.13 (presented 7.8.13) *(interim) No Recent trends in and preparedness for extreme weather events 12.11.13 (presented 7.8.13) *(interim) No Direct Action: Paying polluters to halt global warming? 26.3.14 - No Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area 15.5.14 - Time not expired Environmental offsets 26.6.14 - Time not expired Environment, Communications and the Arts References The impacts of mining in the Murray-Darling Basin 2.2.10 (presented 4.12.09) *(interim) No Finance and Public Administration Legislation Plebiscite for an Australian Republic Bill 2008 15.6.09 *(interim) No Finance and Public Administration References Staff employed under Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 16.10.03 *(interim) No Implementation of the National Health Reform Agreement 12.3.13 (presented 7.3.13) *(interim) No Progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 1999 Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance 17.6.13 (presented 7.6.13) *(interim) No Senate order for departmental and agency contracts 14.5.14 - Time not expired Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (Joint Standing) Australia's trade and investment relationship with Japan and the Republic of Korea 17.6.13 (tabled HoR 3.6.13) *(interim) No Care of ADF personnel wounded and injured on operations 24.6.13 (tabled HoR 24.6.13) 6.3.14 No Trading lives: Modern day human trafficking 24.6.13 (tabled HoR 24.6.13) *(interim) No Review of the Defence annual report 2011-2012 27.6.13 (tabled HoR 13.11.13) *(interim) No Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Implementation of the Defence Trade Controls Act 2012―Progress report no. 1 27.6.13 11.2.14 (presented 8.1.14) No Implementation of the Defence Trade Controls Act 2012―Progress report no. 2 14.5.14 - Time not expired Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Australia's overseas development programs in Afghanistan 16.5.13 26.6.14 No The importance of the Indian Ocean rim for Australia's foreign, trade and defence policy 17.6.13 (presented 14.6.13) 6.3.14 No Report of the DLA Piper review and the government's response 27.6.13 13.5.14 (presented 5.5.14) No Breaches of Indonesian territorial waters 27.3.14 7.7.14 (presented 27.6.14) Yes Australia's overseas aid and development assistance program 27.3.14 - No Gambling Reform (Joint Select) Fifth report―The advertising and promotion of gambling services in sport―Broadcasting Services Amendment (Advertising for Sports Betting) Bill 2013 17.6.13 (presented 7.6.13) *(final) No Intelligence and Security (Joint Statutory) Report of the inquiry into potential reforms of Australia's national security legislation 24.6.13 (tabled HoR 24.6.13) *(interim) No Review of the listing of Jabhat al-Nusra and re-listing of six terrorist organisations; review of the re-listing of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula 12.2.14 (tabled HoR 11.2.14) - No Law Enforcement (Joint Statutory) Inquiry into the gathering and use of criminal intelligence 16.5.13 (tabled HoR 15.5.13) *(interim) No Examination of the Australian Crime Commission annual report 2011-12 16.5.13 (tabled HoR 15.5.13) 20.3.14 No Spectrum for public safety mobile broadband 12.11.13 (presented 23.7.13, tabled HoR 13.11.13) *(interim) No Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Migration Amendment (Health Care for Asylum Seekers) Bill 2012 5.2.13 (presented 7.12.12) *(interim) No Public Interest Disclosure Bill 2013 [Provisions] 17.6.13 (presented 13.6.13) *(interim) No Migration Amendment (Regaining Control Over Australia's Protection Obligations) Bill 2013 [Provisions] 18.3.14 - No Legal and Constitutional Affairs References The road to a republic 16.11.04 (presented 31.8.04) *(interim) No Impact of federal court fee increases since 2010 on access to justice in Australia 17.6.13 *(interim) No Value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia 20.6.13 *(interim) No Framework and operation of subclass 457 visas, Enterprise Migration Agreements and Regional Migration Agreements 27.6.13 *(interim) No A claim of public interest immunity raised over documents 6.3.14 - No Current investigative processes and powers of the Australian Federal Police in relation to non-criminal matters 15.5.14 - Time not expired Migration (Joint Standing) Immigration detention in Australia—A new beginning— Criteria for release from detention—First report of the inquiry into immigration detention 2.12.08 (tabled HoR 1.12.08) *(interim) No Immigration detention in Australia –Community-based alternatives to detention –Second report of the inquiry into immigration detention 15.6.09 (tabled HoR 25.5.09) *(interim) No Immigration detention in Australia—Facilities, services and transparency—Third report of the inquiry into immigration detention 18.8.09 (tabled HoR 18.8.09) *(interim) No Inquiry into migration and multiculturalism in Australia 19.3.13 (tabled HoR 18.3.13) *(interim) No National Broadband Network (Senate Select) Interim report 26.3.14 - No National Capital and External Territories (Joint Standing) Etched in stone? Inquiry into the administration of the National Memorials Ordinance 1928 25.11.11 (tabled HoR 23.11.11) *(interim) No An estate for the future— The allocation of land to diplomatic missions in the ACT 14.5.13 (presented 28.3.13, tabled HoR 27.5.13) 10.7.14 No Report on the visit to Norfolk Island— 29-30 April 2013 17.6.13 (tabled HoR 5.6.13) *(interim) No Report on the visit to the Indian Ocean Territories— 21-25 October 2012 28.6.13 (tabled HoR 13.11.13) *(interim) No Inquiry into the provision of amenity within the Parliamentary Triangle 28.6.13 (tabled HoR 13.11.13) 10.7.14 No Northern Australia (Joint Select) Inquiry into the development of Northern Australia— Interim Report 16.6.14 (tabled HoR 16.6.14) Not required - Public Accounts and Audit (Joint Statutory) Report 417— Review of Auditor-General's reports tabled between February and September 2009 24.6.10 (tabled HoR 22.6.10) **(recommendations 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15,16, and 17, tabled HoR 23.8.12) *(interim) No Report 423—Review of Auditor-General's reports Nos 39 2009-10 to 15 2010-11 5.7.11 (tabled HoR 4.7.11) **(recommendations 2, 3 and 4, tabled HoR 15.2.12) *(final) No Report 436―Review of the 2011-12 Defence Materiel Organisation major projects report 17.6.13 (tabled HoR 29.5.13) **(interim) No Report 437—Review of Auditor-General's reports Nos 2 to 10 (2012-13) 17.6.13 (tabled HoR 29.5.13) 26.6.14 No Report 438—Advisory report on the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Bill 2013 17.6.13 (tabled HoR 4.6.13) **(interim) No Report 439—Review of Auditor-General's reports Nos 11 to 31 (2012-13) 27.6.13 (tabled HoR 27.6.13) **(interim) No Report 441— Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) rules development 14.5.14 (tabled HoR 13.5.14) - Time not expired Report 442— Review of the 2012-13 Defence Material Organisation major projects report 19.6.14 (tabled HoR 26.5.14 ) - Time not expired Report 443— Review of Auditor-General's reports nos. 23 and 25 (2012-13) and 32 (2012-13) to 9 (2013-14) 19.6.14 (tabled HoR 16.6.14) - Time not expired Public Works (Joint Statutory) Public works on Christmas Island 31.10.11 (tabled HoR 13.10.11) *(interim) No Report 1/2014— Referrals made December 2013 12.2.14 (tabled HoR 11.2.14) 13.2.14 Yes Report 2/2014— Referrals made December 2013 25.3.14 (tabled HoR 24.3.14) 27.3.14 Yes Report 3/2014— Referral made December 2013 14.5.14 (tabled HoR 13.5.14) 15.5.14 Yes Report 4/2014— Referrals made March 2013 24.6.14 (tabled HoR 23.6.14) 14.7.14 Yes Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities (Senate Select) Final report 2010 28.9.10 (presented 24.9.10) *(interim) No Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 2013 12.3.13 *(final) No Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Food Labelling) Bill 2012 (No. 2) 14.5.13 (presented 25.3.13) *(final) No Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References The possible impacts and consequences for public health, trade and agriculture of the Government's decision to relax import restrictions on beef— First report 18.3.10 *(interim) No The possible impacts and consequences for public health, trade and agriculture of the Government's decision to relax import restrictions on beef— Final report 23.6.10 *(interim) No Management of the Murray Darling Basin—Interim report— The impact of mining coal seam gas on the management of the Murray-Darling Basin 7.2.12 (presented 30.11.11) *(interim) No Operational issues in export grain networks 10.5.12 (presented 16.4.12) *(interim) No The management of the Murray-Darling Basin—Final report 13.3.13 *(interim) No Aviation accident investigations 17.6.13 (presented 23.5.13) 20.3.14 No Auditor-General's reports on Tasmanian Forestry Grants Programs 19.6.13 *(interim) No Foreign investment and the national interest 26.6.13 *(interim) No First report— Beef imports 12.11.13 (presented 12.7.13) *(interim) No Practice of sports science in Australia 12.11.13 (presented 23.7.13) *(interim) No Interim report— Ownership arrangements of grain handling 12.11.13 (presented 30.8.13) *(final) No Review of the citrus industry in Australia 11.2.14 (presented 16.12.13) - No Qantas' future as a strong national carrier supporting jobs in Australia 27.3.14 - No Effect on Australian pineapple growers of importing fresh pineapple from Malaysia; Effect on Australian ginger growers of importing fresh ginger from Fiji; Proposed importation of potatoes from New Zealand 13.5.14 (presented 28.3.14) - Time not expired School Funding (Select Committee) Equity and excellence in Australian schools 9.7.14 - Time not expired Treaties (Joint Standing) Report 128— Inquiry into the Treaties Ratification Bill 2012 16.8.12 (tabled HoR 15.8.12) 27.3.14 No Report 130— Treaty tabled on 14 August 2012 31.10.12 *(interim) No Report 134— Treaties tabled on 12 March and 14 May 2013 27.6.13 Not required - Report 136—Treaty tabled on 14 May 2013 12.11.13 (tabled HoR 5.8.13) 13.2.14 No Report 137— Treaty referred on 15 January 2014 18.3.14 (tabled HoR 18.3.14) - No Report 138— Treaties tabled on 11 and 12 December 2013, 20 January 2014 and referred on 15 January 2014 26.3.14 (tabled HoR 26.3.14) Not required - Report 139— Treaties tabled on 11 December 2013; referred on 15 January and tabled on 11 February 2014 14.5.14 (tabled HoR 13.5.14) Not required - Report 140—Treaty tabled on 13 May 2014— Interim report 26.6.14 (tabled HoR 23.6.14) Not required - ______________ 1 See House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings, 29 September 2010, p44